Bechtel named project manager on £15bn Wylfa nuclear plant. Horizon Nuclear Power has appointed Bechtel as project management contractor for its £15bn Wylfa Newydd nuclear plant in north Wales. Bechtel will oversee the project and lead on contractual and commercial matters with the supply chain on behalf of developer Horizon, which said the appointment would enable work “to move into the next phase”. The engineer already has nearly 200 personnel working with Horizon as part of its existing role as EPC contractor, to which it was appointed alongside Japanese contractor JGC in May 2016. Horizon Nuclear Power, which is a subsidiary of Japanese technology giant Hitachi, also announced that it had agreed a further contract for JGC to continue providing support during the scheme’s development stage. Construction of the Wylfa plant, which will be located next to the former Magnox plant on Anglesey, could begin as early as 2020 and create 8,500 jobs. Bechtel’s president of nuclear, security and environmental Barbara Rusinko said: “We’ve been part of the Horizon family for several years, and […] we look forward to continuing to bring our expertise to the construction of the UK’s next new nuclear power station at Wylfa Newydd in our new role as project management contractor.”
Construction News 22nd Aug 2018 read more »
Wylfa Newydd bosses promise “cheaper” nuclear plant as development team confirmed. Horizon Nuclear Power has announced it has appointed US firm Bechtel as Project Management Contractor. Horizon Nuclear Power has announced it has appointed US firm Bechtel as Project Management Contractor (PMC) for its proposed Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station. Horizon has also signed further contracts with Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe and JGC New Energy UK Limited (JGC) to continue to provide support during the project’s development stage. Project bosses said the power station will be “cheaper” than what has come before with pressure on to reduce the cost of nuclear generation. Bechtel, who will have nearly 200 employees embedded within Horizon, will oversee the project management of the power station, together with Horizon. It had been reported earlier last week in the Japanese press that the company had withdrawn from the construction of the plant. But a Horizon spokesman said: “The company will sit at the heart of the Wylfa Newydd project organisation, leading the contractual and commercial interface with suppliers on behalf of Horizon.” Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe will deliver the UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactors for the power station as well as being “architect engineer”. JGC will continue to provide a range of specialist services around the ‘Balance of Plant’, the supporting components and systems needed to deliver the energy beyond the generating unit itself. Duncan Hawthorne, CEO of Horizon Nuclear Power, said: “These world-leading companies bring a wealth of nuclear, engineering and construction expertise to complement our growing organisation and will help us replicate the cost and schedule successes of the previous four ABWR reactors. “The UK still needs reliable nuclear power to help transform our energy mix, and we are gearing up to deliver that. “Our first power station will be cheaper than what has gone before and after that, with smart financing, supply chain learnings and no need for first time overheads, future project costs will fall further still.”
Daily Post 22nd Aug 2018 read more »
US engineering firm Bechtel will manage construction of the proposed Wylfa Newydd nuclear power plant in Wales under a contract signed with Hitachi’s UK subsidiary Horizon Nuclear Power. Horizon announced in May 2016 it had appointed a joint venture responsible for construction of the Wylfa Newydd plant. The company – Menter Newydd – is a joint venture of Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe, Bechtel Management Company and JGC Corporation (UK). Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japan’s Hitachi Ltd, while JGC New Energy UK Limited is a UK-registered 100% subsidiary of Japanese engineering firm JGC Corporation. Horizon has also announced that it has signed further contracts with Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe and JGC New Energy UK Limited. Under these contracts, the two companies will continue to provide support during the project’s development stage. Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe will supply the UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactors (ABWRs) for Wylfa Newydd, acting as architect engineer for the project. JGC will continue to provide a range of specialist services around the balance-of-plant – the other components and systems required for power generation beyond the nuclear island. “Issue of these contracts follows two years of excellent progress made by Hitachi, Bechtel and JGC, supporting the project development through their work in the Menter Newydd joint venture,” Horizon said. “The contracting structure has now evolved in line with the next phase of the project as it moves into the pre-construction stage.”
World Nuclear News 22nd Aug 2018 read more »
US giant Bechtel has been appointed to manage construction of a planned nuclear power station in north Wales. The firm is the project management contractor on the Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station on Anglesey which is being developed by Japanese-owned Horizon Nuclear Power. Bechtel will have close to 200 staff on the site, Horizon, whose parent is multinational Hitachi, added. Horizon said it has also signed further contracts with Hitachi’s nuclear specialist, Hitachi Nuclear Energy Europe, set up three years ago, and JGC New Energy UK, a Japanese contractor and engineer working on the scheme which has previously worked on a lab job for Unilver at Colworth in Bedfordshire.
Building 22nd Aug 2018 read more »
Hitachi Ltd. has appointed major U.S. engineering giant Bechtel Corp. as the project management contractor for a nuclear power plant it plans to build in Britain. The contract was concluded between Horizon Nuclear Power Ltd., a wholly owned Hitachi subsidiary, and Bechtel, Hitachi said Wednesday. Horizon and Bechtel will jointly oversee management of the project. The deal “will get Bechtel involved in the project more proactively and result in a cost cut,” a Hitachi official said. Horizon is to build two reactors at the planned Wylfa Newydd power station in Wales. Construction is set to start in 2020. Under the deal, Bechtel will send about 200 employees to Horizon to jointly select subcontractors and equipment suppliers. Earlier, Horizon planned to outsource the selection work mainly to Bechtel. Cooperating with Bechtel on the operations will help curb costs, Hitachi said.
Japan Times 23rd Aug 2018 read more »
Japanese industrial group Hitachi seeks to rein in the ballooning cost of its British nuclear power plant project by naming a manager and clarifying the roles performed by the company and its partners. U.S. engineering company Bechtel will serve as a project manager for the proposed Wylfa Newydd power plant from now on, overseeing design, construction and cost control, while Hitachi and Japanese plant builder JGC will handle design and construction, Hitachi said on Wednesday. Hitachi is building two reactors on the Welsh island of Anglesey through U.K. subsidiary Horizon Nuclear Power. Before the reorganization of roles, Hitachi, JGC and Bechtel had been undertaking the project as three-way joint venture. The new arrangement is designed to let Horizon reduce costs on the Wylfa project by placing orders directly for turbines and other equipment.
Nikkei Asian Review 23rd Aug 2018 read more »
